Tips for starting university!

by |February 17, 2020
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Starting tertiary education, whether it’s at University or vocational study (TAFE, VET, etc), can feel both exciting and bewildering. You’ll find it’s quite different from your school days, so I thought I’d put together some tips for uni life and finding your textbooks.

Read on!


Study life

You won’t hear bells for class here – it’s up to you to be in control of your time, attendance and study.

  • Learn where everything is as soon as possible – this is time well-invested! Get the campus app (if one exists), otherwise you’ll repeatedly miss class time looking for your room. Getting involved with Orientation Week can help immensely with this, so definitely consider attending. Oh, and be sure to check out the Library (arguably the most useful place on campus).

You seem to have only 4 days out of five that are taken up with classes!

  • Use your breaks wisely and don’t waste them goofing off. Look to fill the gaps in your knowledge and get up to speed on problem areas.

You have to ask for help (but it is available).

  • If you are struggling with your studies, using the University, or sorting out your timetable and course requirements, there are plenty of resources and options for support. Start with the Student Union Centre, Course Coordinator (in the Admin office), or let your lecturer or tutor know. It helps to join a Student Club or Society and make yourself some friends and connections ASAP. You need a wide circle. Remember, you have to seek help yourself, but people are happy to be helpful. Ask away!

Stay informed!

  • Watch the bulletin boards and read the emails. Things change rapidly, and ignoring communication is unhelpful for your study and your time. Know the rules and beware of infringement (plagiarism, bad behaviour and other sins). They won’t call your parents here, but there are very serious consequences.
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Set up your new life, for health and study!

  • If you have moved out from home, be careful to avoid the hedonism of junk food and other intoxicants, for the good of your own health. Keep on form to study well by getting enough sleep and eating well. Make sure you have a good place at home to study that allows you to avoid distractions and make efficient use of your tools. Get organised, especially with time management, and set up some good study habits now.
  • Booktopia has a huge range of great study guides for all subjects, so be sure to check them out here.

Remember that university is tougher than it looks from the outside!

  • Some deadlines are totally non-negotiable. Be ready and be on time. The whole point of tertiary study is to show you can manage yourself, your work, your time, and be able to communicate information to others in a specific discipline. You have to be rigorous and correct, and cite sources in the right style. Critical thinking here is, well, critical.

Be prepared to change your mind and your discipline!

  • Many students find upon starting study that their dream vocation is actually a nightmare and doesn’t suit their talents at all. Keep an open mind and be prepared to grab a better option or course. Go wide and survey the field, then pick your speciality.

Textbooks: Get them right and get them early!

Find your book list!

  • Many book lists are not confirmed until a couple of weeks before the start of semester, but usually by O Week.
  • These book lists are available from Course Coordinators, University Handbooks, and of course, your lecturer in the first class.
  • Make sure you only refer to current text lists as textbooks can change or be upgraded to a new edition.

Get the right books!

  • Make sure you are purchasing the correct book by checking the edition, author, and ISBN against the course book list.
  • In cases where the book comes with an access code (to extra materials on websites, etc), and this is required, be sure to get the right one.
  • Many universities use different packages of the same textbook with different codes and materials, and these access codes cannot be shared or reused in secondhand copies. Get the right edition and you will literally be on the same page as your peers!

Get your textbooks early or you may miss out.

  • Course enrolments change and supply from publishers is often limited, so don’t procrastinate if you are sure you need something.
  • If you do, you may have to wait weeks for a reprint, leaving you without your textbook and jeopardising your success.
  • Even worse, if you wait until assignments or exams are set, you may find the book unavailable to order in time.
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Types of books

Prescribed textbooks:

  • Books that your lecturer deems essential for your successful study of that course.
  • You really have to get your hands on a copy. The lecturer expects you to have a copy.
  • Some units allow for open book examinations, where textbooks may be brought into the exam room. Students undertaking an open book examination must use an individually purchased hard copy of the required textbook, as library books or eBooks will not be permitted for use in an examination.

Recommended textbooks:

  • Books that further develop the study of the course and complement your prescribed textbooks.
  • You probably should access these sometime during your study to help you stay ahead.

Reference textbooks:

  • Books that are often mentioned within the course and may be the source material that forms the core of the unit.
  • You don’t need to buy a copy, but they are worth checking out.
  • Your university library may keep limited copies but you may have to wait to access it.

Buying textbooks from Booktopia

Booktopia is the number one tertiary book retailer in Australia! Our specialist Academic team works hard to make sure that an extensive range of titles are in stock and ready to fulfil the needs of students and institutions across Australia.

We are dedicated to ensuring that students can get what they need at a great price, as soon as possible. We offer multiple payment and shipping options, and have an on-site customer service team that students can contact for assistance.

Here are a couple of other things you should know:

  • We’re 100% Australian owned and hold more than 150,000 books in stock, ready to ship to customers across Australia and New Zealand.
  • We work with both Australian and international book suppliers and publishers to offer an extensive range of titles at a competitive price.
  • Booktopia recently acquired the Co-op Bookshop. You can find more information on that here.
  • Students can search by course code, course, ISBN, and title with our textbook finder, or browse our textbook section.
  • There are several shipping options available with a standard shipping rate of $7.95, no matter how many books you need or where you’re shipping to.
  • Multiple payment options are available, including credit card, Paypal, bank transfer and Afterpay.
  • We are constantly gathering textbook information, but some information can change if a lecturer or course unit changes.
  • If you cannot see your course code yet, there may be a reason, so please search by the textbook’s ISBN or title and check against your course book list.

University and vocational study is a time of fantastic personal development that will offer incredible opportunities for your future. Enjoy it and make it count.

Good luck and happy studying!


Four great books for student success

The Study Skills Handbook by Stella Cottrell

Starting University - The Study Skills Handbook

This is the original (and best) study skills guide – over a million students have bought this book! It is based on tried-and-tested systems adapted over twenty years to work for those from different academic backgrounds. Cottrell is a renowned expert in lifelong learning and will set you up with the right attitude and strategies to ensure success, emphasising seeking solutions, and self assessment.

Buy it here


The Little Penguin Handbook by Lester Faigley

Starting University - The Little Penguin Handbook

This valuable book has been adapted to Australasian university requirements by Angela Shetler of USyd. It gives you the lowdown on the essentials of style, citation, grammar, and processes. It is set out clearly and is very easy to use, outlining the basics of essay writing, documentation, and research. Essential for beginning students, be they in the humanities or science.

Buy it here


Critical Thinking Skills for Dummies by Martin Cohen

Starting University - Critical Thinking Skills For Dummies

Whatever your discipline, be it engineering, medicine or law, you will need to be able to present a case or viewpoint, back it up, and criticise it. Critical thinking is about getting outside the box, as well as analysing data and arguments for their truth and accuracy. Martin Cohen explains how this skill is the ultimate in “intellectual self-defence” and may be the skill you’ll find the most useful in your career.

Buy it here


The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E.B. White

Starting University - The Elements of Style

When a book first published in 1918 is still in print and is used by millions of students each year over a century later, you can guess it might just be useful. Modernised over the years, this book is the definitive guide to clear communication in your writing style. It shows you how to make every word and sentence count, conveying your meaning concisely and elegantly. This book should always be close to hand when writing for university.

Buy it here


Study - Save on Uni Textbooks
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About the Contributor

Robert O'Hearn is the non-fiction specialist at Booktopia HQ. He has been a bookseller for over three decades and can't seem to stop. He is an aspiring apiarist and likes playing Joy Division songs on mandolin. He is generally harmless.

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